China’s coast guard says a Philippine patrol vessel has deliberately collided with a Chinese ship in the disputed South China Sea. The Philippine side criticized China, saying it had damaged its two vessels with unlawful, dangerous acts.
The China Coast Guard announced on Monday that patrol ships of the Philippine Coast Guard “illegally intruded” into waters near Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands.
Footage from the China Coast Guard shows a Chinese ship and a Philippine vessel sailing side by side. Details of how the collision occurred are not clear from the video. The coast guard says they filmed the footage early on Monday.
The Chinese authorities said one of the two Philippine ships had ignored China’s repeated warnings before it collided with a Chinese coast guard vessel.
They warned the Philippine side to immediately stop provocations and infringing on China’s sovereignty.
The China Coast Guard also said a Philippine patrol ship “illegally entered” waters around the Second Thomas Shoal, where there have been repeated confrontations.
The coast guard said the Philippine ship violated a provisional arrangement agreed in July between the countries to ease tensions.
The Philippine government said on Monday that two of its patrol vessels met with unlawful, dangerous maneuvers by Chinese ships during a mission of delivering supplies to military bases and other facilities. The coast guard says the Philippine ships sustained damage, including a hole on the deck of one ship. The government released a photo of the damage.
No other noticeable confrontations have been reported since the provisional arrangement was agreed last month. But there is concern that tensions may rise again between the two countries.